A Night in Cliché
by ThuhJesheekuh
Summary: Lucca and Frog muse on the superstition of shooting stars. Witty dialogue and a few clichés ensue. Implicite LuccaFrog.
1. Wishing Star

Edit (6/29/09): Minor revisions to correct Frog's accent and adopt canonical scenario. Disregard ending author's notes.

* * *

I just want to apologize to everyone for writing this. It's probably pretty good by this site's standards (Oh, whatever. Look at any fandom and tell me you don't agree.), but I'm a writer by trade,and I have much higher standards. So, I'mnot satisfied, even though I've been working on it for weeks and have not been able to make it any better. Anyone who has suggestions (not flames or insults!) on how to make this better, please share, because I love Froggy and Lucca, and I want to portray their relationship (or my perceived relationship) as skillfully as possible.

All characters herein are the property of Square-Enix, which I am not affiliated with in any way besides uber fan.

Enjoy.

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Wishing Star

"Why won't it start?" Marle demanded. She, Crono, Lucca, and Frog were sitting on the grassy hill where Ashtear Island sloped down into the ocean. "I'm never gonna get to make a wish if there's nothing to wish on!" When Lucca had found out that there would be a meteor shower that night, the immediate decision was to gather all of their friends to come see it.

"Y'know, other people who aren't here won't get that chance either," Crono pointed out, leaning her against him. He was referring to Ayla and Robo, both of whom had other plans with their significant others. And Marle also did not want Ayla doing a lot of time traveling in her current "condition," for fear something could happen and she would cease to exist… again. Thus, it was only Frog who could make the journey.

"Of course it doesn't really matter, being as it's just an old superstition anyway," Lucca stated, ever the logical thinker.

Marle stuck her tongue out at her. "Party-pooper."

"Though 'tis likely the tradition began as a result of our travels. Ayla, perhaps, would not have handed down the myth had she not learned it from her friends," Frog pointed out.

"Huh… wouldn't that be a kick in the pants," Lucca mused.

"Ooh… time paradoxes always make my head hurt," Marle said, shaking her head.

Crono glanced through Lucca's window at the clock in the living room. "Uh-oh. I hate to cut the party short, but Marle's dad wanted her home at eleven."

"What time is it?" Marle asked, turning to look.

"Eleven-ten."

"Ooh! Crono's in trouble!" Lucca smirked.

"Who cares? I'm a big girl. Forget my dad!" Marle exclaimed.

"I would really love to, except that he's the king of Guardia," Crono pointed out.

"Thou shouldst be on thy way, or else the king may have some punishment waiting for thee," Frog suggested, as Lucca slid her finger across her throat.

"Stop that, Lucca!" Crono took Marle's hand. "Come on. Hopefully it'll start on the way home."

"Aw! No fun!" Marle pouted as she and Crono started in the direction of Guardia Forest. "Lucca! Make a wish for me! Pleeease!"

"No promises!" Lucca replied, waving. Twenty minutes later the meteor shower started. "It's times like these I feel bad for Marle."

Frog nodded. "'Tis interesting, however, that Crono, who hath come face to face with death, feareth a mere mortal."

"I would hardly call King Guardia 'mere,'" Lucca said.

"Even so, can he be as terrible as some of the monsters we have faced?" Frog pointed out.

"I guess there's some truth in that. If worst came to worst, he could always kill the king and marry Marle so he'd be exempt from punishment," Lucca said.

"How incredibly morbid!" Frog exclaimed.

"Well, it's true!"

"'Tis not required that thou sayest it, however," Frog responded.

"Pfft. Now who's being squeamish?" Lucca asked.

"…Touché."

Several minutes passed in which they simply watched the meteor shower. Then Lucca leaned back and sighed. "Y'know, even though I know they're nothing more than a visibile heat signature due to the heat produced by the ram pressure of the meteoroid's atmospheric entry, those meteors are actually very beautiful."

Frog chuckled, "I suppose our escapades with time and magic hath taught you as much."

"Well, if magic as taught me anything, it's that not everything can be grasped by the human mind, or, if Queen Zeal is any example, complete understanding results in psychotic episodes." She ended with a short laugh, which Frog joined her in.

"If that be the case, wouldst thou then make a wish as our friend hath requested?" Frog asked.

"Now that's just pushing it, Froggy," she assured him.

"I thought thou believedest in magic?" he said.

"I believe in magic, but asking a rock to do you a favor is begging to be proved wrong," Lucca replied.

"Ah, but what hath happened to the faith thou wert displaying before?" Frog inquired.

"You killed it. Sliced it in two with the Masamune, you did," she declared.

"Now that hardly seemeth fair," Frog stated. "Pinning the blame on a friend. It does not befit thee, Lady-." She caught him with her sideways glar. "Er… Lucca."

"Was that part of Magus' curse? This whole 'thou' and 'wherefore' deal?"

Frog shrugged as much as a frog could. "I could not say for certain. I spoke not in this manner prior to the incident."

"Then what else could it be?"

"The fall?"

"I know he's our ally now, but I still can't forgive him for what he did to you," Lucca sighed.

"Nor can I, but neither can I say that the experience hath been wholly unpleasant."

"Frog, if that's true, you're either a liar or a masochist."

"I will admit solely to the former." They were silent for a moment. "'Tis for Marle."

"Frog!"

"My point be only that poor Marle was unable to remain here and will not have the opportunity to make a wish. It seemeth exceedingly selfish not to honor her request." Lucca had looked away and begun to hum. "She shalt not for give thee," he sing-songed.

"She shalt not find ou-out," she returned.

"Lady Lucca-," she glared at him, "-Lucca… you cannot expect me to lie to my good friend."

"Oh, come on. I'm your favorite out of all us anyway, aren't I?" she teased, batting her eyelashes playfully.

Frog was silent for a moment as he tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, I could not say such to be completely untrue." Lucca looked surprised. "It is only that Crono and Marle most obviously prefer the company of the other more oft than not. And while Robo is kind for a robot, he does not quite comprehend the…." He searched for the correct words. Lucca gave him a prompting look. "Being a frog, I do tend to be treated differently where'erst I venture. Robo accepts my status as a talking amphibian. However-."

"He doesn't understand that not everyone is as accepting as he is, that the rest of the world sees you as an outsider."

"A misfit," Frog corrected. "A… freak. I must admit that I become at least a tad melancholy when the time cometh to return to my time. My excursions with our group of heroes hath become the highlights of my existence." They were silent for a few moments.

Lucca sighed, glancing at him. "Darnit, Frog…," she said, looking up. She picked out a meteor and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Didst thou just…?"

"Yes, I made the wish," Lucca replied exasperatedly. "But only because it'll help us both."

Frog nodded confusedly. "I see…."

"…Well, aren't you going to ask what I wished for?" Lucca asked.

"I was under the impression that would cause the wish to not come true," Frog stated, mouth slowly widening to a grin.

"Do you come here just to tease me?" Lucca asked incredulously. Frog fell into gales of laughter and, after a few moments of watching him, Lucca stopped fighting the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth and finally snickered and began laughing too. She wasn't one hundred percent sure what she was laughing at, but numbers and logic had mostly been outvoted that evening, so it did not much matter.

"Seriously though, it's driving you crazy, isn't it?" Lucca inquired.

"If it were, I would not be so foolish as to tell thee," Frog pointed out.

"Well, I guess that's a good thing, 'cause I wasn't planning on telling ya anyway," Lucca declared, lying back and folding her arms behind her head.

"I find such to be exceedingly difficult to believe," Frog said, turning toward her.

"Hmm," Lucca shrugged. "'Find it whatever you want. I'm still not gonna tell you."

"I doubt that," Frog said. "Thou art itching to tell this secret."

"I'm not scratching, am I?" Lucca asked lazily, letting her eyelids close. "And besides, it doesn't really matter since you don't wanna know anyway."

"'Tis true. I have no desire to know thy wish," Frog agreed.

"Excellent then," Lucca said.

"Exceedingly."

"Yup."

"Truly."

"Mm-hmm."

"Quite."

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching the shower.

"Thou art certain?" Frog asked.

"Positive," Lucca replied, glancing at him with one eye.

Frog nodded, "Of course I should have known thou wouldst not relent under pressure."

"Of course. Lucca the Great never cracks," she agreed, eyes still closed. Frog eyed her carefully, marveling that his tactics had not thus far worked.

"Though shouldst thou ever become unable to contain thyself, I would be prepared to listen to thee," Frog informed her.

"Is that so?" Lucca smirked.

"Verily. As thy friend I am always here to lend mine ear," he assured her.

"How sweet," she said.

"…If ever thou hadst the urge…."

"Why, Frog," Lucca grinned. "Do you _want_ to know what I wished?"

"Oh, no! No! Of couse not. I wouldst never have thou break thy word as such!" Frog replied.

"Okay. Just making sure," Lucca said.

"Although," Frog admitted, "I am the slightest bit interested as to why thou didst change thy mind about the wish."

"But, Frog, if I told you that, I'd inadvertently tell you what my wish was."

"How unfortunate. I suppose we shall just have to-."

"Frog! You're willing to stake my wish on your curiosity?" Lucca asked, aghast. She grinned impishly, silently divulging how much she was enjoying this.

Frog croaked low in his throat, crossing his arms resentfully. "Very well, thou winnest," he conceded. "I do desire to know thy wish…."

"I dunno, Frog," Lucca replied innocuously. "That was a pretty good wish I made…."

"Lucca!"

"I'd hate to spoil it…."

"Cease and desist! I beg of thee!" Frog pleaded, rather uncharacterically it might be added.

"Oh, fine," Lucca said. "But only if you ask nicely."

Frog sighed. "Wouldst thou impart to me thy wish?"

"You didn't say the magic wo-ord," she sing-songed.

'_Aquos?_' he thought his water spell but said, "Please?"

"Hmm…," Lucca considered it.

"Dost thou delight in tormenting me!"

"Maybe a little, but then, that's what you get." Frog sighed, acknowledging the truth of it. Lucca chose not to look smug but moved on, knowing she'd made her point. "If you must know, I wished for the Epoch to remain operational for at least as long as I live."

If Frog had had eyebrows he might have cocked one in interest. "Thou must explain this to me."

"Well, it's kinda like you said," Lucca went on. "Until we met Marle, Crono was my only friend. Everyone else alienated me because of my inventions and my glasses. …Actually, come to think of it, they still do."

"But thy inventions are what saved the world," Frog said.

"I know that, and you know that, and Crono, Marle, Ayla, Robo, and even Magus know that. But the rest of the world doesn't even know they were ever in any trouble," Lucca elucidated. She looked over at him and gave a meaningful smile at his appearance, "I don't have green skin, but playing with torques and wrenches made me a freak in this era."

"We have more in common than first thought," Frog commented.

"That we do," Lucca said, looking back to the sky. "You guys are the only people that really understand me. And no one but us knows what it's like to save the world." She shivered suddenly.

"No one else hath nightmares of that foul planet destroyer, either," Frog whispered.

"Who said anything about him? I was thinking of Death Peak. That place was cold!" Lucca declared, laughing but trailing off weakly. "Well, there's only one way to improve this evening."

"How might that be?" Frog asked.

"It's your turn to make a wish," she smirked, turning back to him.

"To what purpose? 'Twas thee Marle requested make a wish," Frog replied.

"Maybe, but if I had to make a wish, you have to," Lucca told him.

"T'would only be fair, although I was having fun tormenting thee," Frog answered.

"You seem to have a sadistic streak youself," Lucca commented.

"Thou art one to talk," Frog returned. He turned his face skyward. "Only because I had something in mind anyhow." He closed his eyes and made a wish.

When he'd opened his eyes once more, Lucca inquired, "So what'd you wish for?"

"Lady Lucca, just--."

"Frog!"

Frog looked puzzled for a moment, then he performed the Frog equivalent of a blush. "My apologies… Just because thou art willing to compromise thy wish by imparting it to me--."

"Oh, please, my wish is gonna come true anyway," Lucca told him.

"And how canst thou know this?" Frog asked perplexedly.

"Because I'm going to keep Epoch in such good shape she's never gonna die," Lucca grinned proudly.

It took Frog a moment to comprehend this. "Hold a moment, thou meanest to tell me that thou wasted a shooting star on something thou wert already guaranteed?"

"Waste nothing. Be glad I made a wish at all," Lucca told him.

"Lucca, I know just as well as thee that shooting stars come to naught with wishing, but couldst thou not simply embrace the nostalgia of the evening?" Frog asked. His expression looked genuinely disappointed.

Lucca was slightly abashed. "…Would it help if I admitted I probably won't be able to keep Epoch running forever without a little divine intervention?"

Frog considered this a moment. "That dependeth," he said.

"On what?" Lucca asked.

"How much intervention thou needest. I shall become depressed if I learn our excursions art numbered," Frog replied, breaking back into a smile.

"…Was that supposed to be your witty response?" Lucca asked.

"It sounded wittier in mine head," Frog admitted.

"Yeah, that was a little subpar for the evening," Lucca stated.

Frog sighed, "Mine apologies. "How dost thou propose we remedy this situation?"

"Well, you could always tell me your wish," Lucca suggested.

"Oho! That be funny, milady," Frog laughed. "But thou shalt not learn mine wish so easily. Not when thou tortured me so to learn thine."

"Should've known that would come back to bite me in the butt," Lucca commented to herself.

"'Tis thy move," Frog stated.

"Hmm… well, I would initiate some kind of guessing game, but, with my vast scientific logic and the fact that it's you we're talking about, figuring out your wish should be too easy."

"Oh? And wouldst thou care to hazard a guess?" Frog offered.

"Oh, I dunno. Something to do with a certain knight captain, a good friend who died several years ago, who we all know you always wish you could have one more conversation with, am I getting close?" Lucca said.

Frog looked at the ground and gave a soft laugh. "Thou wouldst think Cyrus should be the first thing that cometh to mine mind," he said.

Lucca raised her eyebrows curiously. "So… it's not Cyrus then?" she asked in disbelief.

Frog shook his head, looking back to her. "I made mine peace with his death," he said. "It took, perhaps, longer than it should, but his ghost hath finally ceased to torment me."

Lucca looked away and narrowed her eyes in thought. "I'm shot for ideas then," she admitted. "I honestly don't have a clue."

"Well," Frog said, averting his gaze so she would not see that color rising in his cheeks. "Perhaps 'tis for the best. I don't know that I want thee to know it, now I think on it."

Lucca turned back to him, surprised. "Whoa, what?" she said. "Why don't you want me to know your wish?" she asked.

"Well, now I take the time to consider, mine wish seemeth a bit… shallow, compared to thy wish or the idea of talking to Cyrus once more…."

"Shallow? Frog, it's you we're talking about. How shallow could it possibly… Frog? Are you blushing?" Lucca asked, horrified.

"What art thou talking about? Frogs cannot blush!" Frog exclaimed, turning his whole body.

"Yeah, but there has to be some kind of equiv-- Frog, are you really that embarrassed?" Lucca queried.

"I hath just told thee! 'Tis a foolish wish," Frog declared.

"Frog, I swear this isn't my curiosity speaking," Lucca stated, standing and walking over to sit next to him, "But no wish is foolish if it really matters to you."

"Oh? Then where didst the old cliché come from? 'Be careful what thee wish for?'" Frog posed.

"Well, they just didn't have any faith," Lucca said. Frog winced at his own word. "Come on, tell me."

"Thou wilt laugh…."

"I will not. Frog, we're friends. If it matters to you, it'll matter to me," she assured him and Frog was startled to find her hand on his shoulder.

He was silent a few moments. "I… wished to be human again…." He waited for her to laugh, to admit she'd been wrong or had lied.

"Frog… how could you possibly think that was a stupid wish?" she asked. Frog twisted around to see her. "Frog, not only is that not stupid, it's only fair. You never should have been turned into a frog, it's only right that you should want to become human again."

"'Tis not so easy!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands forward. "Magus hath disappeared into time, and so hath the only method of returning me to a human state! 'Tis like thee said. To make a wish on a rock is to beg to be disappointed." His fingers curled into fists.

Lucca shook her head sadly. "That's not what I meant," she said. "It's not a good idea to hang all your hopes and dreams on a shooting star, but _you_ can still make your wishes happen." Frog lowered his head, staring at the ground. Lucca nudged him in the arm, "So what if Magus ran off? He's such a jerk, he probably wouldn't lift it for you anyway, but I'm sure there're other ways. After all we've seen, you gotta believe anything's possible." Frog shrugged, knowing she meant Crono's resurrection.

"As many years as I have been cursed, believing hath become a most difficult task."

For a few moments Lucca watched him watch the waves roll across the ocean. Then, making up her mind, she grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him to face her. "Lucca, what art thou doing?"

"Proving you haven't expended all possible means." And she kissed him. It wasn't a thing of beauty. The world didn't stop. Fireworks did not light the sky. Cheesy music did not play in the background. There were shooting stars, but they were there before the fact. It lasted all of one, maybe two seconds, but it was enough to scare Frog out of his mind.

"You… you… you just kissed me," he stuttered.

"Yeah," Lucca frowned slightly. "But you're still a frog. After what we've seen, I kinda thought that would work."

"But… you kissed me!" Frog repeated, the color returning to his cheeks again.

Lucca nodded, smiling wryly. "Not the best you've ever had, I take it?"

"No! I mean, yes! Er, no, I mean, I actually, I-." He decided not to tell her it was his first.

"Frog, calm down, and then I'm sure you could get whatever's in your head into words," Lucca instructed. Frog took several deep breaths, trying to settle himself. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you," Frog nodded. She rolled her hand to prompt him, and he started, "We're friends."

"That we are."

"In fact, we're rather good friends," Frog amended. "I think that's why your kissing me seemed so strange."

"I thought so," she smiled, and Frog laughed.

"It's good to know my friends would do anything to help me," he said.

"Well, Frog, a kiss isn't the most terrible thing to have to do for a friend," Lucca said, and they both laughed at this.

"Thanks, Lucca."

She smiled again, but suddenly she furrowed her eyebrows. "Frog… did you just say 'thanks?'" she asked, eyes widening.

"I think so," he said. And then he realized it to. "I'm talking normally!" he burst out.

"It worked afterall!" Lucca exclaimed.

Frog laughed, "I can't believe it…." He looked up at the stars again and closed his eyes. "Finally the words come out right again…." He turned back to Lucca. "Thank you."

Lucca smirked, "What are friends for?"

* * *

Little open ended. S'because I've got a kind of "second-chap/sequel" kind of churning in my head. No, they did not hook up in here, but maybe the seed of something has been planted in the back of their heads. (Well, duh. Otherwise there wouldn't be another chapter/sequel thing)(which is still up for debate). (Edit (6/29/09): Disregard the following.) Magus fangirls/boys be warned, you may be insulted by what I am about to is a scenario where Frog goes one-on-one with Magus and kills him. That's my favorite scenario simply because Magus is such an asshole.I never liked him, never used him, only twice let him live, but I have never forgiven him for what he did to poor Frog. In that vein, I also _loathe_ LuMa. Fairly warned were ye. I don't want this mentioned in reviews. It's just to let you know.

Anyhow, KIT & KIR. If you want something better to read, I redirect thee to my other fics. They're infinitely better. Hasta for now, folks.


	2. The Wind, the Stars, and the Waves

It's been almost three years, but I finally continued this story. Some days there was just nothing to do in Spain but lie on the beach and write fanfiction.

All characters herein are the property of Square-Enix, with which I am not affiliated in any way.

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The Wind, the Stars, and the Waves

Frog rested on the Ashtear couch and gazed upward out the window. It was Crono's birthday, and Frog had once again traveled through time to visit his friends. Several months had passed since the meteor shower, so tonight the stars remained stationary. He was not interested in stargazing anyhow. He had other things on his mind.

Not a night passed that he did not think on Magus. They had not heard word from the wizard since parting ways at the Moonlight Parade. Whether he'd found Schala, none could say. Neither did they know in which time period he'd landed. Sometimes Frog did not know whether he cared.

That is what he thought about at night. When Frog spared his life on the Northern Cape, Magus joined their party and stood by them when they fought Lavos. Though he was no longer hostile to them, he never made good on his promise to let them die in battle. Indeed, one time when Frog was at the point of collapsing, Magus gave him a tonic (though he rationalized that it had only been to keep Frog alive long enough to Frog Squash the enemy to death.)

Further, there were a great many things Frog could not have done were it not for his amphibious form. He'd already declared on a number of occasions that it was a blessing in disguise. Frog had come to terms with Cyrus' death. Had the wizard earned redemption for Cyrus' murder? Frog could never quite reach a conclusion.

He still thought about the day Cyrus died. Every night. But he no longer though about how he'd failed his friend, and he had finally moved past all contrition. Nowadays, he wondered what it would be like to have dry skin or fully separated digits or hair. He wondered how the world would look if his eyes were on the front of his face. He wondered what he would do if no one looked at him like a freak anymore. All he wondered about at night was whether his own curse would ever be lifted.

No, he never wondered whether his curse would be lifted. He barely dared to wish for that, even. It was such an impossibility that Frog preferred not to torture himself thinking about it. But he did dream, oh yes. He dreamed of letting sand slip between fully-formed fingers, of wind flying through hair. He dreamed of looking down at children, of leaning on a table top. He dreamed of strolling through town square and up to the door of his house, of being greeted by a woman who loved him.

But it would always be a dream, even if his friends thought it possible to break the curse….

He dreamed of a woman who loved him. He dreamed of telling a woman that he loved her, a woman who wasn't afraid to kiss him and tell him that _she _loved _him_. He dreamed of kissing her back. If he were human, he would kiss her back….

But he was an anthropomorphic frog, and, as long as he was, she would be a friend. '_A friend who was willing to kiss me to make me human again,_' he though, reaching up to touch his lips where she'd pressed hers. '_Because that's what friends are for, she said,_' he answered his thought harshly.

"Man, I thought we got past this self-pity thing."

Frog sat up sharply on the couch. He looked about the messy living room workshop, seeing nobody.

"I know! I guess we could be even stronger still."

Now he stood up to search the room. "Hello?" he called out.

"Jeez, what kind of swordsman goes to search for intruders and doesn't take his blade?" Frog wheeled about to face his possessions. Instead of seeing armor and sword, however, he spotted two imp-like creatures in collars and smocks.

"The Masamune?" he asked, staring at the two of them. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you mean, 'what dost here?'" Masa asked.

"Yeah, what happened to the accent?" Mune posed.

"My friends helped heal me of it," frog answered.

"_A_ friend, I bet," Masa corrected.

"_A special_ friend," Mune added.

"They were smooching," Masa told his brother.

When he began to make kissing noises, Mune replied with an "Ew!" while Frog protested quickly, "We were not smooching! She kissed me once, and that was the end of it."

"But she is a special friend. You didn't deny that part!"" Masa pointed out triumphantly.

"If you love her, why don't you marry her?" Mune teased.

"Or, at the very least, kiss her back?" Masa added.

"Don't be so immature," Frog frowned. "I won't talk about this with children."

"We're older than you!" Mune retorted.

"…Be that as it may, I don't love her any more than I love the rest of my friends," Frog declared.

"Don't lie to us. We know you dream of telling her you love her and kissing her back," Masa said.

"I… don't… what?" Frog couldn't find the words to contradict them because that's exactly what he'd dreamed. "How…?"

"We are born from the stuff that dreams are made of," Mune told him. "Remember?"

Frog thought a moment and sat back down as he remembered. "Dreamstone. The Masamune was forged out of Melchior's dreams."

"And I don't guess you noticed, but we dreams talk," Masa added, making a yapping gesture with his hand.

"You've talked with my dreams?!" Frog asked, vaguely horrified.

"A lot for a while, but then they started getting all mushy after that meteor shower," Mune said. "Now they're boring."

"Well, I can't help it," Frog said, defensively.

"Sure, you can!" Masa said, leaping up onto the couch. "Just man up and make a move!"

Ignoring the implications of Masa's statement, Frog pressed on, "Even if through some impossible means I managed to convince her to have me, wouldn't I still be in love and have 'boring' dreams?"

"People dream about things that aren't so. If they were reality, people wouldn't dream them," Mune explained.

"That can't be true. What about the dream where you get up and get ready only to later wake up and realize you were dreaming?" Frog responded.

"Exactly! You weren't really awake. It wasn't real," Mune said.

"And you?" Frog pointed out. "You're dreams, but you're real."

"We're special, but not unique. We're dreams made reality," Mune replied. "Melchior dreamt of us often, so he toiled away until the ruby knife was complete. Then we were real!"

"You just have to put some effort into it," Masa added.

"Like Lucca said when she was talking about wishing," Mune continued. "You shouldn't put all your money on your wish, but you can work to make it come true if you want it that badly. The same is true of dreams."

"And here is where we run into trouble," Frog stated. "My dream can't come true unless my wish comes true first, and that's not possible."

"Lucca didn't think so," Mune pointed out.

Frog considered this a moment, but he was interrupted by Masa pointing out the window. "That's interesting. I thought the Entity had finally gone to rest."

Frog and Mune looked about curiously to see the point of Masa's interest. To their surprise, out on the lawn was a red time gate.

"What's it doing here?" Frog asked. "And why is it red and not blue?"

"I think it's for you," Masa said.

"Me? Why?" Frog posed.

"You saw it first," Masa answered. Frog thought a moment.

"Gates have always held answers before…. This should be no different." He hopped to his feet and threw on his clothes.

"Let's go, Mune," Masa said, glowing white.

"All right!" Mune exclaimed as they converged into a sword and were grabbed up by Frog on his way out the door. Outside he could hear the humming of the gate. On reaching the gate, Frog hesitated only momentarily before entering the time stream. When he'd reached his destination, the gate reopened and he stepped out into the different time period.

This place was new to Frog. He had seen prehistoric mountains, floating magic palaces, futuristic domes, and the End of Time itself. This place held none of those things. It held nothing. All that Frog could see in any direction was fields of tall green-yellow grass and a lonely leaf-bare tree. He could hear wind as it rippled the grass and, in the distance, beyond the tree, waves breaking serenely on the beach. Clouds covered the entire sky.

"What is this place…?" Frog wondered aloud, looking about for anything. Since the tree was the only visible landmark, he started in its direction. He glanced back once of twice to be sure he could still see the gate. Tranquil though it was, this was not a place in which Frog wanted to be stranded forever.

As he got nearer to the tree, however, he realized that there was a figure at its base. Frog quickened his pace, and the figure came into clearer focus as a person. Frog had nearly reached the tree when he realized that he knew the person. Though it was clear that age had taken a great toll on the wizard, there was no mistaking him.

"Magus…," Frog said.

Magus cocked his head slightly in Frog's direction. "Heh, I think I knew it would be you," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Frog asked.

"Waiting for you, I think," Magus replied. They were silent for a moment. "You haven't drawn your sword yet. I want to believe that's a good sign. Come. Sit." The wizard patted the ground next to him.

Frog was wary, but he crossed to the spot Magus had indicated. He didn't sit down yet, though. "What is this place?" Frog asked.

"The End of Days," Magus replied. "That's what I call it, at least. I think I'm the only one who's been here long enough to call it anything."

"The End of Days. Is that like the End of Time?" Frog inquired.

"Yes and no. We're on the other side of the time stream," Magus explained. "The End of Time is on the, shall we say, general side of the time stream. It counts all time, days, months, years, eons, millennia. But this side of the time stream is more… personal."

"How so?" Frog posed.

"When a person dies, time continues on in general until the End of Time, but to that person, time has stopped. He has reached the end of his timeline: the End of Days." He pointed out across the field. "All these people are passing right through Time's Grasslands. They won't realized they're even at the End of Days until they reach the Shore Bordering Time," he pointed out past the tree in the direction of the sound of waves. "When the waves overtake them, they'll cease to exist in time. And they don't even know it until it's happened."

Frog shook his head. "I don't see anyone."

Magus sighed, "I suppose that's to be expected. They can't see us either. You're the first to take notice of me. It's unusual for a person to even be able to see the grasslands."

"What makes us so special?"

"Probably that we've traveled through time. Belthasar, Melchior, Gaspar if he ever dies, probably would see it, too. Crono, Marle, and the rest will, too, I'd wager." A pause. "How are they, by the way?"

Frog was taken aback by the question and stared, stunned, at the wizard for a moment. "I assumed you all kept in touch through time, didn't you?" Magus pushed.

"We did," Frog answered finally. "I was in Crono's time when I was brought here, in fact."

"And?"

"Crono and Marle are going to be married in a few weeks. I'll be the best man," Frog said slowly, hesitantly.

"Really?" Magus smiled for the first time. "I am sorry I missed it. And Ayla? What is she doing now that there are no Reptites to fight? Is she keeping Kino in line?"

"Well," and Frog had to smile, too, "Her eldest daughter is two years old already and quite the spitting image of her mother. But Ayla is big pregnant with her second child, so she and Kino have their hands full. They couldn't make it to Lucca's house tonight. It was Crono's birthday."

"I see. So Porre hasn't…?"

Frog looked at him curiously. "Porre hasn't what?"

Magus looked away and paused before replying, "I shouldn't say too much, but… remember what Dalton said in the dimensional vortex?" Frog thought back and recalled that Dalton planned to raise an army in Porre. "Just tell them to keep their guard up."

Frog finally voiced the thought that had been on his mind for several minutes, "I'm surprised that you care."

"So am I."

"I always got the impression that you held nothing but disdain for us."

"I had a reputation to maintain. But the longer I went by myself afterwards, the more I wished I hadn't. It took me a long time to atone for my sins, and I still haven't quite finished, which is why I'm here now, I think. But I feel it would have been sooner if I had been kinder to that group. After we parted ways I was always quite lonely." He paused a moment. "I never did thank you for sparing my life on that Cape." Frog was surprised again. "I'm wise enough now to know that you would have killed me that day. I was not truly as all-powerful as I thought I was. And I did not deserve your mercy. But I'm glad that, for even a short time, I was part of that group, and you afforded me that opportunity."

Frog looked down at Magus and finally took in his appearance. His physique had deteriorated greatly, though he was likely still capable of fighting. He maintained his purple cape, but he'd swapped his leather armor for a brown robe. His hair was now a blue-gray color and collected in a ponytail at his back. And his face held all the wear of the years he'd seen since parting ways with them: sunken red eyes, hollow pasty cheeks. It was gaunt and lined deeply and scarred, heavily scarred.

"…For every scar a story, am I right?" Frog said.

"I have more. The time stream is not always as yielding as we knew it. The gates were no more, so I had to will myself across time."

The roots about the tree were wide and comfortable, and finally Frog found it in himself to sit down. "Did you ever find Schala?"

Magus shook his head. "No. I heard whispers about some strange occurrence in El Nido that may have concerned her, but I could never find the people involved."

"I'm sorry."

"I am too," Magus nodded. "But I get the feeling it won't matter if I ever make it to that shore."

"What happens when you reach the shore?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if I'll make it there."

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Not all."

"Are there more people that aren't moving?" Frog looked around, though he wouldn't see them.

"No, I'm the only one stuck here right now," Magus shook his head. "But I saw a few others. Some of them went to the Shore, but a couple of them went the other way to the Drowning Valley…."

"The 'Drowning Valley?'" Frog asked.

Magus sighed. "Some people were so terrible in life that they lost the privilege to exist beyond time. They wait at these trees until they move on. Mostly they don't see the ones walking to the shore, so they don't realize they're going anywhere different until… well…."

Frog looked at him curiously, perturbed. "Why do you call it 'Drowning Valley?'"

Magus leaned around the tree and pointed in the direction Frog had come. "Out that way, the grasslands eventually give way to a valley. That's where they go. The screams… are… horrific. I don't know what happens to them, but it is not something I would wish on my worst enemies…. And they're the only ones I've seen go."

Several seconds passed before Frog fully comprehended this statement. "Lavos?"

"Among others…." Frog suddenly thought of Queen Zeal and realized Magus had probably heard his own mother go.

"Millions pass to the shore before the wind finally drowns out the screams again," Magus said. "That's why I call it 'Drowning Valley.' That's why I don't know whether I'll ever make it to that shore."

"…Have you even tried?"

"I can't move from this tree. I have to wait."

"For what?"

"Like I said: for you, I think."

"Why?"

"Probably all the atrocities I committed toward you," Magus said.

"Then change me back," Frog responded.

"I can't," Magus replied.

Frog shook his head. "Of course you can," he said.

"I promise you, I can't," Magus answered.

"Why not?" Frog demanded, anger rising.

"I don't know why, but I can't," Magus returned.

Frog leapt to his feet, his hand itching toward the Masamune. "_You _turned me into this! _You _put this curse on me! _You _made me into this… freak! You must be able to turn be back! You're the only one who can turn me back!".

"I can't! I already tried!" Magus shouted. A sharp breeze blew through them suddenly, rattling the dead branches above their heads.

Frog stared at him, barely comprehending Magus' statement. Finally he dropped to his seat again and repeated the words, "You… tried?"

"Before I left. I thought it was the least I could do, but it didn't work," Magus whispered wearily, leaning back against the tree. "I don't know how you can change back, but it's not through me."

Frog croaked a low groan. "Then why am I here?"

"I think you're my judge."

"Why me?"

Magus breathed a half-chuckle. "Because in a strange way, you know me better than anyone else."

"If that's true, then it's a very sad thing, because I don't know you very well at all," Frog replied. "I don't know how you became the Fiendlord who killed Cyrus or the wizard who helped defeat Lavos or the old man I see before me now."

"Well, it all started with my mother," Magus said, stopping with a laugh.

"No, keep going," Frog told him.

"I'm ancient, Frog. My life's story is years long. I'm not even sure how old I am," Magus responded.

"How can I judge you if I don't know you?" Frog asked. "And even if I weren't judging you, I have to admit I'm curious."

Magus paused, thinking for a moment. "Your accent's gone; I've just noticed."

"Don't try to change the subject. We're talking about you," Frog told him sternly.

Magus nodded, smiling slightly, "Very well…."

* * *

Because time did not move at the End of Days, in no time at all, Magus reached the day he met his judge. He had described the first few moments of the encounter when he broke off. "You know the rest," he said.

"I do not. I only know what I saw up until I fell off that cliff," Frog responded.

"That's all you need to know," Magus said.

"That's not true. I need to hear your side of the story," Frog persisted.

Magus was silent for a moment. "I do not mean to excuse my actions, but… we were in a war."

Frog exhaled slowly. "I know."

"Cyrus would have killed me first."

"…."

"I had to use every advantage I saw."

"…."

Magus looked away darkly, "I knew you didn't want to hear this."

"I do," Frog protested. "It's just… hard…. Cyrus…."

Magus glanced back at him. "…If it's any consolation, I do know how you feel."

"…."

"Schala…." Frog looked up when Magus spoke. "Schala was my Cyrus. She was strong enough for the both of us when I was scared to be. I didn't see her die, but knowing what Lavos did to her enraged me so that I would do anything to avenge her! …If I'd realized then that I'd done that to you, I would have been at least a little afraid of you."

"…If you weren't so haughty, that is," Frog said.

"If I did not underestimate you, yes," Magus chuckled.

"…Cyrus _would_ have killed you first," Frog conceded. "We were doing what we had to for Guardia, just like you were doing what you had to for the Mystics…. But…."

Magus grimaced. "No, there was no excuse for what I did to you. I was a powerful wizard, and you were barely a man."

"I was sixteen."

"There was no reason. It was just cruel."

"…."

"If there is one thing I am truly sorry for, it is that."

Silence fell between them for a few moments.

"…Continue…."

* * *

After that, unnoticed by both of them, Magus gradually became more animated in his story, and Frog had become quite invested. There were even parts where they smiled or laughed. Sunlight had broken through the clouds, but they didn't notice because leaves had begun to cover the tree. But another change was also taking them over slowly, a change which they did not notice until after Magus had said, "I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was here."

Frog nodded, commenting, "You lived a long life."

"I did indeed," Magus said, standing and stretching. A few seconds later, he realized his movement and laughed. "Well, whaddaya know." Frog looked up and finally noticed the change that had slowly come over his companion.

No longer did he bear the appearance of an old man, but neither was he the fearsome Mystic king who had terrorized the Middle Ages. Frog guessed that this was how he would have looked had Queen Zeal not gone mad with Lavos' power, had he been granted a normal, happy childhood and life. His skin had color, and his hair was a kinder color of blue. And his eyes were no longer the fearsome red they'd appeared the day Cyrus died, but the amber they'd been when he was a boy in Zeal. One could call him handsome, even. A woman might have fallen in love with him. Surely, he could be called Magus no longer.

"Janus," frog smiled. Janus looked down at him and offered a hand to help his companion stand.

"Glenn," he said. The swordsman was surprised to see his own hand as Janus grasped it.

"Well, I'll be," he said. His hand was formed of full digits and lacked scales. When he stood, he found helooked at Janus, not up to him. The wind blew, and green-blonde hair rustled atop his head. He had a man's build. He, too, was handsome. He was no Frog.

"I don't believe it," he said in a voice that didn't croak.

"It's beyond explanation, for sure," Janus replied, smiling without fangs. They looked each other up and down, taking in their new appearances. Janus laughed, "Just look at us. Under different circumstances, we might even have been friends." He offered his hand to shake.

"We _are _friends," Glenn corrected, taking the hand. After a brief moment, they each reached around the other's back and embraced.

"Thank you," Janus said.

"When they parted, Glenn said, "It's only a shame it took your death for us to realize it."

"It's all right. Once we pass that shore, we are beyond time," Janus answered. With that, he took his first step away from the tree and started for the Shore Bordering Time.

"Take care, my friend," Glenn called.

"Give my best to everybody. And when you join me, be ready to tell me your story, too," Janus answered. As Janus disappeared from sight, Glenn decided it was time to return. He turned away from the sound of waves and started back across Time's Grasslands until he found the gate once again.

* * *

This was heavily influenced by the Chrono Cross soundtrack. This addition to the story was also the reason I had to make that revision on the first part. I've been playing Chrono Trigger on the DS, and I've been letting Magus live. He's grown on me a little, at least to the point where I can tolerate him. That's why this developed. Also because, as I said, sometimes I had nothing to do but lay on the beach and write. Lucky me and lucky you, I suppose. So, R&R and KIT&KIR. Hasta for now, folks.


End file.
